Thousands of Kaiser workers in the Bay Area were set to return to the picket lines Thursday for day two of what has been called the largest health care workers strike in U.S. history.
The union that represents the striking workers and Kaiser management have had ongoing negotiations, and according to Kaiser, they have made progress, saying the two sides agreed on several proposals late Tuesday.
The main issues behind the walkout are cost-of-living wage increases and lack of staffing, the union says.
"We are so short staffed," surgical tech Vivian Crivello said. "We keep on telling them; we’ve been doing this since the pandemic three years ago. It does affect us. It gives us burnout and … it’s not safe for our patients."
The workers on strike include medical assistants and techs working in X-ray and radiology. About 75,000 nationwide are participating in the walkout, with about 19,000 in the Bay Area.
They have said Kaiser, the largest nonprofit health care provider in the country, has yet to return to pre-pandemic staffing levels, and as a result, patients are having to wait weeks or months for appointments.
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Nurses and doctors are not involved in the strike, and emergency rooms remain open.
In a statement, Kaiser said: "We remain committed to reaching a new agreement that continues to provide our employees with market-leading wages, excellent benefits, generous retirement income plans and valuable professional development opportunities."
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Some non-urgent appointments and elective procedures might have to be rescheduled because of the strike, and some outpatient pharmacies are closed.
The strike is expected to last three days, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday, unless the two sides reach a deal before then.
